Birch Kuksa

[SOAR]

We felled a Birch tree that was dying from Piptoporus betulinus, the wood was still sound in parts of the stem, some was really brittle and the crown was completely dead. I cut some of the stem in two and the wood was very interesting, there were signs of Compartmentalization and brown rot from the Piptoporus betulinus (birch polypore)

I started a Kuksa and a spoon from the wood which gave off a nice menthol smell when the wood was carved, the smell is probably to do with the degradation of cellulose and hemicelluloses by the brown rot fungus in its early stages in the pieces that I saved.

I'm really glad with the way it has turned out and the contrast between the two colours of the wood is very attractive and the Linseed oil really brings it out.

Hope you like it.

 

[TJRoots]

wow that is beautiful, really nice looking kuksa with a lovely piece of wood. what a find that was, all the birch i've ever used has just been boring monotone

TJ

 

[addo]

Thats turned out rather nice chap, cant beat a tasty bit of Birch. Likeing the handle too.

 

[milius2]

That's looking very very nice! I have some willow, that has nice pattern in ii. Might give it a go. How wet was the wood? Couse mine was cut a month ago.

 

[Andy2112]

Very nice as usual Simon.

 

[superc0ntra]

Looks very nice. Does the brown rot in any way affect taste?

 

[Taffy63]

Lovely job there fella.

 

[Peat]

That is bootiful!

 

[Shewie]

That's come up a treat, nicely done Simon

 

[JonathanD]

The patternation of that wood is superb.

 

[zeBarOOn]

That looks awesome, I gotta give it a go!

 

[SOAR]

Looks very nice. Does the brown rot in any way affect taste?

Didn't taste a thing other than the wisky!

Thanks guys for the comments, Millius the wood was worked the night after it was felled and was fairly wet.
I'm making another at the moment its more like a bowl than a Kuksa as its huge, I'll post some pics when its done.

 

[brancho]

Very nice work simon and a nice piece of wood.

 

[SOAR]

Very nice work simon and a nice piece of wood.

Thanks Alf.

 

[dancan]

Very Nice !
It's nice to get a great piece of wood that mother nature can make .
What tools are you using to rough out the kuska ?

 

[SOAR]

Very Nice !
It's nice to get a great piece of wood that mother nature can make .
What tools are you using to rough out the kuska ?

Thanks, I have kept some of this wood back for knife handles.
I have in the past used a spoon knife for the bowl on willow which wasn't too bad, but on cherry it was hard going. I have been using a Adze which really speeds the process up for the inside and an axe for the outside.

 

[tytek]

Lovely bit of carving there!!!
It looks quite sturdy and tactile.

How thin can the walls be on a kuksa?
If I ever get the chance to make one (if I come across a suitable piece of wood) I'd try to make it a bit lighter by thinning the walls a bit.
How far can you go before you start running into problems?

 

[SOAR]

Lovely bit of carving there!!!
It looks quite sturdy and tactile.

How thin can the walls be on a kuksa?
If I ever get the chance to make one (if I come across a suitable piece of wood) I'd try to make it a bit lighter by thinning the walls a bit.
How far can you go before you start running into problems?

Thanks.

You can go as thin as you like but remember that will effect its strength, if you go too thin you will see light through the walls.
if you plan on putting it in your pack and taking it away with you on trips you will want a bit of strength so its up to you when you stop thinning.